I live in Alaska, and hike in areas with high bear and moose populations. I've also, as a woman that hikes solo, had some sketchy experiences with men, particularly when they've been drinking. I have had two men come up on me openly voicing what they would do when they got to me, only to change their attitude entirely when they saw I was packing. I never had to even touch the firearm, it's mere presence on my hip was a deterrent.

I pack both openly and concealed, depending. Both are 100% legal without a permit in Alaska. Long time Alaskans don't get concerned when they pass someone with a gun. Granola type imports from California give us dirty looks though. If I know I'm hiking a trail high in that type of personality, I'll conceal my firearm to keep them from being scared. Mostly I try to get off the beaten path, however.

I do also carry bear spray, and which option I choose to use would depend on what my circumstances turned out to be.

Is it UL? Absolutely not. Do I think it's prudent? Yes. If I were hiking in a group, I probably wouldn't take a gun. I would be less likely to have problems with wildlife or people in a group. But since I hike primarily alone, I do think I have to consider my personal safety and take steps to ensure it.

There's a difference between feeling it's a dangerous activity and simply going in a manner in which you feel prepared. That level of preparation varies by person. As Justin pointed out, some people take PLB's or SPOT's, some don't. Some take minimalist gear, some take the kitchen sink. Some places are, technically, safer than others. East coast hikers are pretty unlikely to encounter a Grizzly bear, for example. Even many west coast hikers are unlikely to ever see one unless they go to Yellowstone. A lot less likely than I am, where I have seen Grizzlies on hikes just a couple miles from my house, and where I've encountered black bears on my road. A wolf pack in recent years had to be eliminated because they were coming into residential areas and killing people's dogs and finally went after a couple of women who were walking on a road. Being prepared doesn't equal being afraid- it's just being prepared. I feel quite confident in the woods.

Being prepared beats having to vomit on an attacker.
on 02/20/2013 12:04:13 MST

"An updated advisory on the website of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs offers female students new tactics to fend off rapists, including vomiting, urinating and telling an attacker they have a disease.The new recommendations came Monday evening, hours after the Colorado House passed a package of gun safety bills, including one that would ban the concealed carrying of guns on college campuses."

Do you think pepper spray would work as deterrent for a wolf pack? We have twice as many wolves in our part of WA state aslast year. More than in Denali National Park now it is estimated. They attack peoples dogs and livestock, but haven't been any threat to people. If I am hiking with my dog and need to dissuade several animals, have you heard if pepper spray has been effective,IE using up the can on one or two wolves and the rest leaving?

"I've also, as a woman that hikes solo, had some sketchy experiences with men, particularly when they've been drinking. I have had two men come up on me openly voicing what they would do when they got to me, only to change their attitude entirely when they saw I was packing."

There are certainly safety concerns peculiar to women which men cannot relate to. After reading one chapter in "Wild," the author described one incident on the PCT where a predator/day hiker (calm down folks! Not saying this is mutually inclusive!) came after her aggressively. Based on her description, I'm surprised that he didn't try to rape her.

I made an analogy in an earlier post that I've worn my seatbelt my entire life and I've never needed it. I wear it because the unlikely but potential consequences are so dire. I carry 100% around town for reasons unrelated to this thread or OP. I rarely carry when I’m hiking in Washington because I’m not overly afraid of black bear and mountain lions only concern me when I’m with my kids. There aren’t any moose in my area and I don’t know enough about the re-emerging wolf packs to understand if I should be concerned about them or not. I finally saw my first wolf last year near Chinook Pass.... but I digress.

People like Andrew Skurka hike the Alaska Wilderness all the time without a gun and live to see another day but the between the moose and grizzlies I personally wouldn't be one of them.

The women that were nearly attacked had pepper spray. They backed down the road 1/4 mile spraying the wolves with pepper spray with the wolves following them snarling and trying to get to them. The pepper spray was only partially effective and it seems the wolves were waiting for them to run out. If memory serves, what scared the wolves off finally was a vehicle that came to the women's rescue. The pack became such a problem that there was a concern that children waiting for school buses would be harmed. The local native tribe took care of the issue. This particular pack had lost its fear of humans.

"The pepper spray was only partially effective and it seems the wolves were waiting for them to run out. If memory serves, what scared the wolves off finally was a vehicle that came to the women's rescue."

Wow! After watching a video where a wolf pack took out a young moose while the mother was agressively trying to fight them off, I'd be toast if they thought I looked like lunch! They certainly are tough and persistant.

I've spent some time researching black bear and cougar but almost none researching wolves as I never expected to see one in the wild. I'll admit that when I finally saw one, it was very exciting but my new reality is that I should expect to encounter them and that I need better knowledge of how to react to them. Off to hit the books!

Re: Being prepared beats having to vomit on an attacker.
on 02/20/2013 13:07:54 MST

"An updated advisory on the website of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs offers female students new tactics to fend off rapists, including vomiting, urinating and telling an attacker they have a disease.

Dena, I googled your words about the wolf attack on the women and only came up with a Fort Richardson incident where wolves attacked dogs being walked by 3 women (as opposed to attacking the women on their own). Is that the same incident, or a different one from the one you are talking about? Neither scenario sounds like fun...

I had recalled it as two women, but I do recall they were walking their dogs and it was on a road on Ft. Rich so I would say that is very likely the same incident. It's been a few years so my memory on the people count must have been faulty. The same pack had also started encroaching on Eagle River (which is adjacent to Ft. Rich and is the town I live in) and coming into a residential area there. It was for both of those reasons that the local Native tribe (actually called a Native Corporation, up here) took the issue into their own hands. People's lives were at risk.

It makes sense to carry a riffle if your in grizzly country, and I can see woman packing pistols, in fact hand guns are traditionally associated with womans self defense and it makes sense. Im just not impressed with the grown men that seem to need to carry all the time.

By all means, don't carry a gun; there is no mandate which would require you to do so. I didn't grow up in a house with guns so this is something I've adopted as a result of my profession. In all likelihood I doubt I'd carry a gun today if I'd grown up to be a Dr. or teacher (slowly fade in Mommas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys..). Having a front row seat to human depravity will warp your perception of the world and feelings of security.

I realize that to someone who has no interest in ever carrying a gun and who has never needed one, the act may seem odd. What I can tell you is that the weight of the gun disappears after a while (like a bulky wallet or watch) and it seems stranger when it's missing. My pistol is very concealable and I don't even notice it any more.